AB InBev increases offer for SABMiller to £67bn

AB InBev, which owns the Stella Artois brand, upped its offer from £42.15 to £43.50 a share
AB InBev, which owns the Stella Artois brand, upped its offer from £42.15 to £43.50 a share
REUTERS

Anheuser-Busch InBev moved a step closer to creating the “first truly global beer company” after raising its offer for SABMiller from £65 billion to more than £67 billion.

However, the latest offer, which ups the headline cash price from £42.15 a share to £43.50, is thought unlikely to be approved by the SAB board, although analysts say that a further increase to £44 would be hard to resist.

With SAB’s biggest shareholder, Altria, which holds 27 per cent of the brewer, backing AB InBev, attention will focus on Colombia’s Santo Domingo family, with 14 per cent, to see whether the new offer wins their favour.

Like last week’s offer, yesterday’s proposal includes a partial share alternative to allow Altria and BevCo, the Colombians’ investment vehicle,